Study: Women who use hair relaxer at higher risk of womb cancer

A new study by researchers in the USA states that women who use chemical hair straightening products are at higher risk of developing uterine cancer.

Uterine cancer, also known as womb cancer, is a type of cancer that develops from the tissues of the uterus.

The study, carried out by researchers at the National Institute of Health, included 33,497 US women aged 35 to 74, who were monitored for almost 11 years.

Approximately 60 percent of the participants who reported using the products in the previous year were said to be self-identified Black women.

The researchers said during the period of the study, 378 uterine cancer cases were diagnosed among the women.

They found that women who reported frequent use of hair straightening products (more than four times in the previous year) were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer, compared to those who did not use the products.

According to the study, there were no associations with uterine cancer for other hair products the women reported using.

The research added that the adverse health effects of hair straightening products may be greater for Black women due to higher prevalence of use.

Alexandra White, lead author of the study, said the researchers estimated that 1.64 percent of women who never used hair straighteners would go on to develop uterine cancer by the age of 70.

“But for frequent users, that risk goes up to 4.05%. This doubling rate is concerning. However, it is important to put this information into context – uterine cancer is a relatively rare type of cancer,” she said.

The researchers said they did not collect information on brands or ingredients in the hair products the women used.

They, however, added that several chemicals that have been found in straighteners such as parabens, bisphenol A, metals, and formaldehyde could be contributing to the increased uterine cancer risk observed.